Removable and reversible table top construction



Sept. 8, 1959 c. J. LAwLEss REMOVABLE AND REVERSIBLE TABLE TOP CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 30, 1957 CLEMENT J. LAWLESS INVEN TOR.

BYWMM Arron/yer United States Patent O REMOVABLE AND REVERSIBLE TABLE TOP CONSTRUCTION Clement J. Lawless, Kingston, Ontario, Canada Application December 30, 1957, Serial No. 705,862

1 Claim. (Cl. 311-35) This invention relates generally to furniture and is more particularly concerned with an improved removable and reversible table top construction.

The nish of end tables, coffee tables and the like is often subject to having various liquids spilled thereon in addition to being marked by rings left by sweating glasses and thus it is highly desirable to take precautions against such conditions where the nish of such furniture will be ruined. It is highly desirable to have a reversible table top, one side, for example, being covered by cork and the other side being covered by a material such as Formicaf A primary object of this invention is to provide a removable and reversible table top which may incorporate on opposite sides two different types of material including means for retaining the table top in a relatively xed position in a support frame and permitting the ready removal and reversibility of the table top.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a removable and reversible table top construction magnetically retained lock means facilitating the removal, reversal or replacement of a table top in a support frame.

A further object of this invention is to provide a magnetically retained reversible and removable table top construction which is readily and economically manufactured, easily installed, and highly satisfactory and practical for the purpose intended.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the drawing there is shown one preferred embodiment of the invention. In this showing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a table incorporating the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1, portions being broken away and removed; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of an end portion of the table construction incorporating the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, indicated generally at is a table construction, in the preferred embodiment including a metal frame indicated generally at 12 and a reversible and removable table top indicated generally at 14.

The support frame 12 includes hollow tapered legs indicated generally as 16 suitably secured at their upper ends at the corners of a rectangular support base 18 including an upwardly extending peripheral flange 20 conforming to the shape of the table top 14. The flange 20 includes a plurality of transverse apertured portions 22.

The table top 14 includes a rectangular panel member 24 of wood or any other suitable material having suitably secured on opposite sides a cork surfacing material 26 and Formica material 28. Opening into the edges of the panel 24 are bore portions 30 which have anchored therein permanent magnet elements 32. The bore portions will be in alignment with the apertured portions 22 of the flange 20 regardless of which surface of the table top is exposed.

Indicated generally at 34 are retaining pin elements constructed from a ferrous material, for example, including an elongated body portion 36 extendible through the apertured portions 22 into the bore portions 30, the body portions being headed as indicated at 38 to be disposed on the outer surface of the flange 20. The retaining pins 34 are finger-removable facilitating the ready removal and reversal of the table top 14.

Although the table in the preferred embodiment has been indicated to be rectangular in shape, other shapes may incorporate the invention, the support frame and table top, for example, assuming an elliptical or circular configuration.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention shown as described is to be taken as the preferred example of the same and various changes in the shape, size and arrangements of the corks may be made as do not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a table construction, a support frame, a non-magnetic, reversible table top removably supported on said frame, and magnetically retained lock means between said table top and frame, said support frame including a support base and a frame, said table top conforming to the frame and being removably received therein, bore portions opening into the edge of said table top, apertured portions in said flange in alignment with the bore portions of said table top, said lock means comprising at least one manually-removable magnetically attracted and headed pin element extending through said alined apertured and bore portions, and permanent magnetic means attracted to said pin elements and disposed in said bore portions for retaining said pin elements in locking relationship between said peripheral flange and table top.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,198,227 Hinchey Sept. 12, 1916 1,300,533 Wessinger Apr. 15, 1919 2,079,737 Greenway May 1l, 1937 2,102,449 Zimmerman Dec. 14, 1937 2,253,772 Edgren Aug. 26, 1941 2,521,885 Vasquez Sept. l2, 1953 2,727,754 Webb Dec. 20, 1955 2,731,316 Cohen Jan. 17, 1956 

